To support a heavier patient population, hospitals are making structural changes and buying new equipment to accommodate bariatric patients and their family members, according to an article on the Becker's Hospital Review website.
"Every facility has to address [obesity] now because it's so incredibly common," said Joan Suchomel, AIA, president of the American Institute of Architects Academy of Architecture for Health.
Health systems are now considering a patient's entire experience at the hospital.
Every doorway and hallway along a patient's path throughout the hospital must be wide enough to accommodate the patient.
What Managers Miss in Small and Mid-Sized Cooling Units
Preparing Healthcare Facilities for Cockroach Risks
The Medical College of Wisconsin Breaks Ground on Student Housing Complex
A Shift in Healthcare Facilities Management
Trauma-Informed Design Transforms Boston Homeless Shelter